Just how good is this Man City star?

With Manchester City’s Capital One Cup Final clash with Sunderland approaching, both sets of supporters will be crying out for a hero.

The name on many City fans’ lips will be the midfield powerhouse Yaya Toure, who has been inspirational for the club since his arrival in 2010. Sensational performances such as 2011’s FA Cup Final have seen Toure quickly become a fan favourite. With City still alive in four competitions, City will need Toure to be at his best now more than ever. But just how good is the Ivorian?

Toure saw his stock rise immensely during his time at Barca, where he did the midfield dirty work for his star-studded teammates. He played a conventional role in the squad, slotting in centre-back when needed as well as midfield. He performed admirably from the centre back role against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League Final, earning praise from Messi and Xavi among others players and endeared himself to the Barca faithful. Deployed mainly as a defensive mid, Toure made an important 74 appearances, managing four goals in the process, a respectable total for a defensive role.

Now deployed as a box to box midfielder, he has since struck 31 goals in 134 appearances for City, demonstrating his versatility and all around ability. Toure has also contributed four assists this season, with his eye for a pass being one of his strongest attributes.

Toure possesses immense power and pace, along with technical ability on the ball and an eye for a pass. He is as complete a midfielder as you are likely to find. And at the age of 30, he is showing no signs of tiring and continues to play a vital role for club and country.